Ratchet lever



March 31, 1931. N. F. McNAUGHT ETAL RATCHET LEVER Original Filed Oct. 8,1928 Eda Patented Mar. 31, 1931 r UHTED STATE NORRIS F. MCNAUGHT ANDEDWARD HENRY PETERSON, OF OHIQAGO, ILLINOIS, AS-,

SIG-NORS T0 DURO METAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORA- TION OF ILLINOIS RATCHET LEVER Original application filedOctober 8, 1928, Serial No. 311,026. Divided and this application filedApril 30, i 1930. Serial No. 448,463. 7

The present invention relates to ratchet levers, and is particularlyconcerned with ratchet levers adapted to be used as wrenches.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an improvedratchet level assembly in which the wrench is positively connected tothe handle and in which no springs are required for actuating the pawl.

Another object is the provision of a ratchet lever in which the pawl isautomatically and positively moved into either engaging or releasingposition by movement of the handle. Another object is the provision of aratchet wrench in which the connection between the wrench and handle iscontrolled by the movement of the handle and in which the force exertedupon the handle is utilized to actuate the pawl into the firmerengagement with the wrench.

Another object is the provision of a ratchet wrench which is moredurable, more simple and more economically manufactured than thewrenches of the prior art.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and from the accompanying drawings, in whichsimilar characters of ref erence indicate similar parts throughout theseveral views.

The present application is a division of prior application Serial No.311,026, filed October 8, 1928, on Ratchet levers.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a ratchet wrench with the pawl and ratchetmember shown in released or non-engaging position;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig.1 with one of the plates of the bodymember removed, showing the pawl in engaging positions;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

bodiment consists of a round metallic member provided with a pluralityof teeth 15 located on its periphery and having a noncircular socket 16axially located in its body. The rotatable member 12 is preferablyformed with cylindrical portions 17 and 18 of a diameter less than thatat the teeth 15, thereby providing annular shoulders 19 and 20 which mayserve as thrust hearings to retain the rotatable member in its support,and the cylindrical surfaces 17 and 18 form journals for the same. 1

The ratchet wheel 12 may be constructed by casting the same of steel orother durable metal, and all of the parts of the ratchet wrench arepreferably constructed of steel. The body member 11 preferably comprisesa pair of steel plates 25 and 26 which are rounded at both ends 27 and28 to remove sharp corners and tapered as at 29 to reduce the size ofthe plates-and save material where it is not required.

Each of the plates 25 and 26 is provided with an enlarged circularaperture 30 adapted to serve as bearings for the journals 17 of therotatable member 12, the apertures 30 being located to register witheach other adjacent the enlarged end of the plates 25 and 26. The plate26 is also provided with a pair of apertures 31 and 32 adapted toreceive the bolts 33 and34, and the plate 25 is provided with aperturesof reduced size adapted to receive the threaded ends 37 and 38 of thebolts 33 and 34.

The bolts 33 and 34 are preferably formed with the cylindrical portions39 and 40 adapted to serve as pivot posts for the pawl 13 and handle 14,respectively, and by providing reduced threaded portions 37 and 38,annular shoulders 41 and 42 are formed upon the bolts for engagementinside the plate 25,

whereby the nuts 43 and 44 may be screwed tightly against the plate 25without pinching the pawl or handle. In other words, this constructionenables the plates 25 and 26 to be secured in spaced relation,permitting free movement of the pawl and handle.

The handle 14 preferably comprises a stock bar of steel having the edgesrounded to protect the handle of the user and having sharp cornersremoved. The bar 14 which comprises the handle is preferably of athickness which will fit between the plates and 26 with suflicient playfor free movement, and the bar is provided at one end with a transversebore adapted to rotatably receive the cylindrical portion 40 of the bolt34-.

The body member 11 may comprise plates 25 and 26 indentical in form toreduce the number of different parts and decrease the cost ofmanufacture, both of the plates being provided with the bearingapertures 30 for the rotatable member 12, and with apertures 31 and 32of the same size. The bolts 33 and 34 may comprise members having anenlarged cylindrical surfaces 39 and and reduced end portions 58 and 59adapted to be received in the apertures 31 and 32 of the plates 25 and26. The cylindrical portions 58 and 59 of the bolts may be riveted overoutside the plate 26, thereby permanently securing the plate to thebolts 33 and 34, and the bolts may be provided with reduced threadedends 37 and 38 adapted'to receive nuts 43 and 44 for clamping the plate25 between the nuts and the shoulders 41 and 42. V

The wrench member of this embodiment has been provided with a squaresocketlG, and the ratchet wheel 12 of this embodiment is preferablyprovided with a plurality of teeth 15, whose sides 23 and 24 aresubstantially the same slope.

The pawl 13 is provided with a tooth adapted to engage between the teeth15 on the ratchet member 12, and the pawl'is pivotally supported uponthe bolt 33.

The cam surface on the pawl 13 may comprise a fiat plane edge 52 whilethe cam surfaces on the handle 14 may comprise two relatively flat edges47 and 48 at an obtuse angle to each other with a slight tolerancebetween the apex (S0 of the angle and the surface 52 of the pawl.

The operation of this embodiment is as follows: 1V hen the handle 14 ismoved in a coungages the flat surface 52 on the pawl 13 at a point 61above the line of centers of the bolts '33 and 34, thereby rotating thepawl 13 in a counterclockwise direction. In this embodiment, therefore,the handle and pawl move in the same direction'to disengage the pawlfrom the teeth 15. When the handle 14 is moved in the oppositedirection, or clockwise, the surface 47 recedes from the surface 52, butthe surface 48 engages the surface 52 on the pawl below'the line ofcenters of bolts 33and 34,

and rotates the pawl 13 clockwise, also bringing the pawl into theposition of Figure 3.

The cam and handle are very economically manufactured, as they requirevery little machine work, and it is only necessary to remove a portionof the straight end of a bar to form the surface 47, while the surface52 may be formed in cutting the. material of which the pawl is formedinto proper lengths. The pawl and lever of this embodiment are alsoreversible relative to the ratchet wheel 12 in the assembly of thedevice, thereby simplifying the assembly, as there is less possibilityof assembling parts in the wrong position. It should also be noted thatwhen the tooth is in the engaging position, the surface 48 cooperatingwith the pawl provides a stop member, preventing further movement of thehandle relative to the wrench member and body,-and when the pawl is inreleasing position of'Fig. 1, the surface 47 acts as a stop member toprevent further movement of the handle relative to the body in acounterclockwise direction.

It will thus be observed that we have invented a novel ratchet lever orwrench in which the pawl is positively actuated into engaging ornon-engaging position by movement of the handle, thereby eliminating thenecessity of any springs and eliminating the drag between the pawl andratchet which prevents the free return of the handle in the devices ofthe prior art.

Our ratchet wrench is also more positive in its action and durable inits construction, and it comprises a new combination of elements whichcooperate in an entirely novel manner to produce this result. V I

' l/Vhile we have illustratedand described a specific embodiment of ourinvention, many modifications may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention, and we do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of all changes withinthe scope of the appended a claims.

Having thusdescribed our invention, what we claim is new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a ratchet wrench, the combination of a sheet metal bar forming ahandle, a shouldered bolt passing through said handle, a'pair' V ofelongated plates carried by said bolt and spaced by the shouldersthereof, a pawl pivotally mounted between said plates, cooperating camsurfaces on said pawl and handle,

.and a toothed ratchet membercarried bysaid plates to be actuated bysaid pawl and handle, the pivotal axes of said handle, pawl and ratchetmember being located in substantial alignment.

2. In a ratchet lever, the combination of a pair of plates, havingregistering apertures forming bearings for a ratchet member, a ratchetmember having aplurality of teeth,

and having a trunnion formed at each end,

said trunnions being rotatably mounted in said bearings, a pawl memberpivotally mounted between said plates, and a handle member comprising astock metal bar pivotally mounted between said plates, one of saidlatter two members having a fiat end and the other of said latter twomembers having surfaces for engaging said flat end, one of which isspaced from said flat end when the other of said cooperating surfaces isin engagement with said flat end, whereby said handle is adapted tocontrol the engagement of said pawl with said ratchet member.

3. In a ratche lever, the combination of a supporting body a rotatablemember having a ratchet formation thereon and having a plurality ofshoulders on its periphery for rotatably mounting the ratchet on saidbody a pawl member movably mounted on said body, a handle member movablymounted on said body for controlling said pawl member, said handlemember and pawl member having c0- operating flat end surfaces arrangedwith clearance in predetermined positions whereby said handle mayactuate said pawl tm tooth engaging position.

In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our names this 28th day ofApril 1930. NORRIS F. MCNAUGHT. EDWARD HENRY PETERSON.

